Piacenza Jazz Fest
The international jazz festival of Piacenza
About Piacenza Jazz Fest
Piacenza Jazz Fest
The Piacenza Jazz Fest is the main festival dedicated to jazz in the Municipality of Piacenza, in Emilia-Romagna. Founded in 2004 and organized by the Piacenza Jazz Club Cultural Association, the festival takes place annually between late winter and spring, spreading its concerts over almost two months and involving numerous venues in the city and the Piacenza area.
A widespread festival across the city's venues
The festival does not have a single venue but inhabits many different spaces in Piacenza, chosen for their acoustic quality and their architectural and historical value. Among the most frequented venues are Spazio Le Rotative, the Sala degli Arazzi of Galleria Alberoni, the Giuseppe Nicolini Conservatory, the Milestone Live Club, and, outside the city, the Teatro Sociale of Stradella. This widespread format allows the public to discover Piacenza's cultural heritage, concert after concert, while enjoying the music.
Great names in international and Italian jazz
The Piacenza Jazz Fest program alternates world-famous stars, emerging talents, and protagonists of the Italian scene. Over the years, the festival has hosted accordionists, pianists, singers, and bands capable of exploring jazz in all its variations, from swing to fusions with funk, world music, and contemporary improvisation. Alongside the major evening concerts, the festival offers free previews, meetings, and in-depth sessions designed to introduce jazz to less experienced audiences.
The Bettinardi Competition and support for young artists
A distinctive element of the festival is the "Massimo Urbani" International Competition for jazz composition and groups / Bettinardi Prize, which provides a platform for new jazz talents, whose winners perform within the festival's lineup. This focus on new generations, along with numerous discounts for students, young people, and under-25s, confirms Piacenza Jazz Fest's commitment to being not only a showcase for big names but also a vibrant laboratory of jazz culture.
An event for Emilia-Romagna
With the support of the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano, the Municipality of Piacenza, and the Region of Emilia-Romagna, Piacenza Jazz Fest has become a benchmark for enthusiasts throughout the region and beyond, capable of attracting a loyal audience and renewing itself with a different theme and listening experience each year.
Piacenza Jazz Fest — edition 2026
Piacenza Jazz Fest 2026 - "Jazz, so what?"
The XXIII edition of Piacenza Jazz Fest chose the question "Jazz, so what?" as its theme, an invitation to listen and discover. The festival opened on February 28 at Spazio Le Rotative with Vincent Peirani and his "Living Being" project, and closed on April 24 at the Milestone Live Club.
Main Concerts
- March 5 – Sullivan Fortner Trio at the "G. Nicolini" Conservatory
- March 7 – Avishai Cohen with the "Big Vicious" project at the Sala degli Arazzi
- March 14 – Dianne Reeves in duo with Romero Lubambo
- March 19 – Gianluigi Trovesi and Umberto Petrin at the Catholic University Campus (free admission)
- March 21 – "Cantando Historias" with Fabrizio Bosso
- March 24 – Tyreek McDole 4et
- March 28 – Danilo Rea and Luciano Biondini at the Teatro Sociale of Stradella
- April 12 – Amaro Freitas
- April 18 – Paolo Angeli and Redi Hasa
The lineup also included performances by the winners of the Bettinardi Competition at the Milestone Live Club. The events mostly took place at 9:15 PM.
Programme Piacenza Jazz Fest 2026
2026 Program ("Jazz, so what?")
- February 28 – Vincent Peirani "Living Being" (Spazio Le Rotative)
- March 5 – Sullivan Fortner Trio (Conservatorio Nicolini)
- March 7 – Avishai Cohen "Big Vicious" (Sala degli Arazzi)
- March 12 – Bettinardi Competition Winners (Milestone Live Club)
- March 14 – Dianne Reeves & Romero Lubambo (Sala degli Arazzi)
- March 19 – Gianluigi Trovesi & Umberto Petrin (Università Cattolica, free admission)
- March 21 – "Cantando Historias" with Fabrizio Bosso (Conservatorio)
- March 24 – Tyreek McDole 4et (Conservatorio)
- March 28 – Danilo Rea & Luciano Biondini (Teatro Sociale di Stradella)
- April 12 – Amaro Freitas (Milestone Live Club)
- April 18 – Paolo Angeli & Redi Hasa (Ex Chiesa delle Benedettine)
- April 24 – Bettinardi Competition, double set (Milestone Live Club)
Highlights Piacenza Jazz Fest 2026
Prices Piacenza Jazz Fest 2026
Practical information — Piacenza Jazz Fest
Getting there
Piacenza is easily reachable by train: the railway station is connected to the main lines of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, with frequent connections from Milan, Bologna, and Parma. By car, the city is located at the intersection of the A1 and A21 motorways. The concert venues are distributed in the historic center and are reachable on foot or by public transport.
Tickets
Single tickets are available at different prices (generally between 15 and 35 euros depending on the concert) and a pass for 5 selected concerts. Numerous discounts are available for members, students, young people, and over 65s, as well as reduced prices for under-25s. Some events, such as previews and university concerts, are free admission.
Information
All updated information on tickets, passes, advance sales, and discounts is available on the official website www.piacenzajazzfest.it, by writing to [email protected], or by calling 0523 579034 and 366 5373201.
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Where does it take place — Piacenza Jazz Fest
Spazio Le Rotative